Fatoumata

Mrs. Fatoumata Diakité is 49 years old, married and the mother of four. She lives in a traditional family in the Sokala district in the town of Ségou (the fourth administrative district of Mali). In addition to being an administrative secretary, she is also a merchant. She has learned this trade very early on from her parents who were merchants as well. She has started her business by selling cereals, and later also various other items imported from Burkina Faso. Back then, she was an intermediary in the selling chain; she would purchase goods from wholesaler and sell them to her customers, mostly her co-workers. After she lost her job, in order to avoid being idle, she continued with her business, concentrating on it more fully.

In order to be able to better meet customer demand, especially in view of approaching holidays: Tabaski (Eid), Christmas and New Year’s Eve, she decided to continue collaboration with Soro Yiriwaso and request another loan. She has been with Soro Yiriwaso for 42 months. She already had three solidarity loans and two individual loans, all duly repaid. She is now on her third individual loan, which she plans to use for purchasing four boxes of perfumes and 15 shirts. She stocks up in Burkina Faso and sells for cash and on credit to a customer base composed of both men and women. She plans to achieve a monthly income of 40,000 West African Francs, which will allow her to repay her loan and help her husband. Her goal is to expand her business further.

Additional Information

Important Information

Soro Yiriwaso is a microfinance institution that works primarily in rural and semi-urban areas of Mali to provide underprivileged communities with access to financial services.The organization facilitates access for disadvantaged clients, particularly women, to new resources and services, fostering solidarity and cooperation among its clients. Kiva lenders’ funds will enable Soro Yiriwaso to expand its outreach and target even more underserved Malians involved in business and agriculture.